Oval Window Yard Find: 1956 Volkswagen Beetle

The Volkswagen Type 1 (aka Beetle or Bug) was conceived in the 1930s but didn’t see significant production until after World War II. The Beetle paved the way for the imports invading the U.S. market from the 1960s-forward. For… more»

Rough Ragtop Roller: 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle

The 1971 model year was the eighth for the popular Chevrolet Chevelle, a mid-size car. The Malibu was the best-selling model and the only way that you could get a convertible that season. Just 5.089 drop-tops were built with… more»

Two-Owner Survivor: 1983 Toyota Cressida

Known as the Cressida in the U.S., Toyota’s largest and most expensive car had furnishings befitting a Cadillac. And it perhaps was the precursor to the Lexus in terms of pomp and circumstance. The fourth generation was built from… more»

Shiny Red Ambulance: 1955 Pontiac Chieftain

With few if any details, this 1955 Pontiac ambulance, once in service to the fire department in Palm Springs, California, will be auctioned off at McCormick’s 78th Classic Car Auction in the same city over the weekend of February… more»

Holy Grail? 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle COPO 427

In the late 1960s, if you wanted a hotter car than Chevrolet advertised, you went to a dealer with COPO connections. Central Office Production Order was the only way you could get a 425 horsepower, 427 cubic inch V8… more»

Just Two Owners: 1977 Chevrolet Nova V8

The Chevy Nova was a popular compact car, with an incredible run from 1962 to 1979. The final generation arrived in 1975, the last with rear-wheel-drive, and was replaced by the front-wheel-drive Citation in 1980. This ’77 edition looks… more»

Breezeway Project: 1965 Mercury Montclair

The Montclair was Mercury’s mid-range full-size product sandwiched between the Monterey and Parklane in 1965. The 4-door sedan, like the seller’s example, came with the “Breezeway” rear window which meant the glass was lowered and raised by the flick… more»

Cheap Wheels Project: 1980 Pontiac Sunbird

The 1976-80 Sunbird was Pontiac’s version of the Chevrolet Monza. It used the same GM H-body platform which had roots in the 1970s ill-fated Chevy Vega. The seller offers a 1980 notchback coupe, though a hatchback/fastback version was also… more»

Running Project: 1972 Datsun 240Z

The Nissan Fairlady Z was one of the Japanese answers to the British sports cars of the 1960s. When the car made it to the U.S. in 1970, it was marketed as the Datsun 240Z (for its 2.4-liter inline-4… more»

Rare Pony: 1978 Ford Mustang King Cobra

Ford redesigned the Mustang pony car in 1974 to eliminate the size and weight it had accumulated over the years. It was a sales success because the Mustang II happened to come along just as the OPEC oil embargo… more»

Numbers Matching Project: 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu

In 1972, the Chevy Chevelle was still one of America’s best-selling cars. More than 207,500 Malibu Sport Coupes were built with a V8 engine, including the seller’s car. And, refreshingly, it’s not been taken down the path of a… more»

Former Show Car? 1973 Dodge Challenger

The original Dodge Challenger came late to the “pony car” wars of the late 1960s. In fact, the Challenger didn’t arrive until the 1970 model year and only lasted five years. This rusty 1973 Challenger looks like it was… more»

1-Owner Time Capsule: 1975 Oldsmobile Delta 88

After 1975, the only new convertible you could buy that was made by General Motors was a Cadillac. And that would go away the next year. Of course, the convertible would find new success down the road, but that’s… more»

Survivor or Older Restoration? 1961 Mercury Comet

FOMOCO introduced two compact cars in 1960. One was the Ford Falcon, the other the Comet, sold by Mercury. It was envisioned to be an Edsel product, but when that division closed up shop, it ran without divisional badging… more»

Leading the Compact Revolution: 1958 Rambler American

AMC’s 1958 American compact was a resurrection of the earlier and mid-1950s Rambler, whose tooling was in storage. The launch of the little car enabled American Motors to be the only domestic automaker to post a boost in sales… more»

Nearing The End: 1965 Studebaker Lark

By 1965, Studebaker Corp. was treading on very thin ice. U.S. production was canceled in 1964 and left Studebaker of Canada to soldier on. The number of models offered had been slashed (no more Gran Turismo or Avani products)…. more»

Barn Finds